---
title: "BMW’s i Brand Strengthens Its Long-Standing Support of Formula E"
description: "BMW pledges to increase its involvement with the FIA's fully electric racing series, Formula E, by becoming a race title sponsor in Germany."
date: "2018-04-18"
modified: "2018-04-18"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20187/bmws-i-brand-strengthens-its-long-standing-support-of-formula-e"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Berlin"
  - "BMW"
  - "bmw i"
  - "BMW i3"
  - "BMW i8"
  - "FIA"
  - "Mercedes-Benz"
  - "racing"
  - "Racing News"
---

# BMW’s i Brand Strengthens Its Long-Standing Support of Formula E

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/04/1-_w6i5641.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

German automaker BMW, one of [Formula E's founding sponsors](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19030/second-generation-formula-e-race-car-steals-the-spotlight-in-geneva>), recently announced that it will add another layer of sponsorship to their already profound support of the all-electric racing category. In addition to being the series' official vehicle partner, BMW will become the race title partner at its upcoming home race in Berlin.

The Formula E circus will return to Germany's capital city on May 17, and when it does so, it will be welcomed by the overwhelming [support of young racing fans](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20003/fia-formula-e-young-fans-are-flocking-to-the-electric-racing-series>) and BMW's own employees who work and live in Berlin. The Tempelhof Airport where the E-Prix will be contested will be adorned by BMW i banners and other BMW-related sponsorship collateral.

“The title partnership for the German round of the FIA Formula E Championship in Berlin is a key component of our extensive commitment to this series,” said Jörg Reimann, Vice President BMW Brand Experience. “For BMW, the opportunity to actively shape the event and offer visitors a unique [BMW brand experience](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/20009/dyno-test-shows-the-2018-bmw-m5-is-way-more-powerful-than-advertised>) is always at the heart of this kind of co-operation. That is precisely what we will be doing at the BMW i Berlin E-Prix alongside Formula E.”

https://twitter.com/_/status/985904269999165440

BMW jumped on the electric wagon early on when the FIA's new racing series posed itself as a good platform to promote its i brand of hybrid and electric vehicles. From that moment on, Formula E has utilized the high-performance [BMW i8](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/16530/the-bmw-i8-roadster-brings-you-even-closer-to-the-environment>) and i3 as the series' official pace car and auxiliary vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz recently [enrolled its EQ brand](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19779/mercedes-eq-becomes-major-sponsor-in-formula-e-ahead-of-its-official-entry>) as a major sponsor Formula E's European leg, which includes races in Rome, Paris, Berlin, and Zurich. Not knowing how Mercedes' involvement as an official sponsor of the series conflicts with BMW's partnership, *The Drive* reached out to Formula E for clarification.

Some races (Mercedes EQ is) a presenting partner like in Rome, and others as an official partner, like in Zurich," said a Formula E spokesperson. "The rest (will be) with trackside branding or additional activations on site like in the Allianz E-Village fan zone. The collaboration with BMW i entails the race title partnership, therefore securing the naming rights for that particular event: The BMW i Berlin E-Prix."

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)